The Moroccan government announced two weeks ago the rupture of diplomatic relations with Iran. The news was transmitted to the media by the Moroccan foreign minister, Naser Burita, who noted that they had “evidence and data that at least one diplomat from the Embassy of Iran in Algeria has participated for at least two years as a facilitator between Hizbollah and the Polisario Front in actions aimed at training” soldiers of the Polisario Front “in urban guerrilla actions and attacks against the Kingdom of Morocco“.

Likewise, he explained that the most serious incident was the delivery to the Polisario Front, in the month of April, of SAM-9, SAM-11 and Stella missiles.

The minister rejected that the rupture had nothing to do with the Syrian context or the situation in the Middle East in general, and stressed that it obeys “strictly bilateral interests”. For their part, Iran and Hezbollah denied, in different releases, any cooperation with the Polisario Front while Saudi Arabia applauded the Rabat initiative.

The confrontation between Morocco and the Polisario Front has a long history behind it. More than forty years have passed since Spain left Western Sahara, the conflict posed by a hasty decolonization, fruit of the circumstances of Spanish politics in 1975, coinciding with the death of Franco, and the international context, continues alive. Both rivals fight for control of this area, characterized by a high strategic value.

According to a study by the Externado University of Colombia, “besides having the largest reserves of phosphate in the world, it also has important natural resources such as iron, zirconium and sand used for construction. Also, its coasts have considerable oil reserves and the most important fishing bank in the world “.

In addition, this year the pressure on Morocco has increased as a result of the decision of the Security Council to shorten the mission for the United Nations Referendum on Western Sahara, created in 1991. For it, instead of presenting his report every year (which was appearing at the end of April), now it will have to do every six months (the following one in October). A decision that some Moroccan analysts see as an increase of the pressure on his country to sit down to negotiating.

However, and far from the historical conflicts, the rupture of relations takes place days after three significant events: the meeting that the King of Morocco had with the Lebanese Prime Minister and with the King of Saudi Arabia on April 10 at the French capital ; the threat (now materialized) of Donald Trump to abandon the nuclear pact signed with Iran and the opening of the new embassy of the United States in Jerusalem.

With this, it can be seen clearly that Morocco’s action is not only focused on the rivalry that confronts it historically with the Polisario Front, but also on its political interests to get the support of the anti- Shi’i axis formed by the administration of Trump, Arabia Saudi and Israel. All of them are potential or habitual allies for Morocco.

First, improve relations with the United States after the cold start of relations because of the support given by the King of Morocco to the Democrat, Hillary Clinton, in the 2016 elections. This could explain the fact that the Trump administration It has been almost a year and a half without appointing a new ambassador to Morocco.

Secondly, the greater presence of Israel in Africa makes it the most desirable ally due to the possibility of accessing cutting-edge Israeli technology, applicable to agriculture or collaboration/advice in the fight against terrorism, as they currently maintain the Jewish state. with Kenya. In addition, Israel has never hidden its interest in acquiring observer status in the African Union.

And, finally, Saudi Arabia. The relations between the Wahhabi kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Alawite kingdom of Morocco transcend the purely economic, social, cultural and religious. Both have always been reciprocally informed in the major strategic decisions taken by one or the other country. The last closest example was Morocco’s offer to mediate and solve the blockade, still in force today, imposed by Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf countries on the emirate of Qatar, for its alleged financing of Islamic terrorism.

Therefore, Morocco has joined the group of countries facing the Persian kingdom with the aim of seeking the support of this axis. Meanwhile, it tries to stabilize its own country affected by the protests that began more than a year and a half ago in the Rif as a consequence of the aggravation of the structural problems of this historic region within the Alawi kingdom, derived from poor lands, the abandonment by the government, the lack of opportunities, social inequality and the unequal distribution of wealth, as well as the centrality in decision making from Rabat and structural problems that affect different regions of Morocco.

Although Morocco was not hit by the Arab Spring, the claims of more space for civil society, little by little they are awakening more and more a population that have been drowsed by the oppression exerted by their government, and they shout, every time higher, who want a just life, a law that is fulfilled, the end of impunity and a better future. As Martin Luther King said, “freedom is never given voluntarily by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed“.